Forget What You Know
by youngdove
Summary: Avarie Walsh, sister of Shane Walsh, has been on the run from shelter to shelter, seeking a concrete place to stay. By luck she has found a home in the prison. But when former roads intertwine and past stories that seemed long forgotten are dug up, can she truly move on, and find happiness in such a dark time? Mostly Daryl/OC. Slight Rick/OC/Daryl.
1. You're Alright Now

Breath was escaping and lungs burning as she sprinted through the woods, seeking safety. They were after her, but the danger did not come from the individual; it came from the whole horde itself.

Looking back, she realized that this could very well be the end. Walkers from all corners trudged towards her, savage with their blood lust.

"No," she gasped, picking up the pace and booking it across the leaf covered forest floor. This would not be the end, she decided. This was not to be her fate.

But soon enough the walkers were closing in. She turned in all directions, trying to find a way out. She tried making sense of the chaos that was occurring all around her. The walkers were fierce and hungry, snapping at her as they got closer. Despite this all, she still looked around, trying to find a crack in the wall. When one couldn't be found, she looked to the loaded gun in her hand and felt the dagger in her boot. It could at least give her a way out, she figured, so without a second thought the young woman sent a bullet through the closest walker's head, blood and brain matter flying everywhere. With a cry of defiance the woman plunged her dagger into the next walker's head, pulling it out with ease before running away.

The trees began to disperse, and the woman heaved a sigh of relief. Just as she thought she was in the clear, a bullet was shot and hit her in the calf, causing her to howl out in pain and stumble forward. She clung onto the rock closest to her, trying to fight through the pain. But the walkers were getting closer, and people were yelling from all around. She was so confused and her ears were ringing from the adrenaline and gunshot. She could've sworn she saw humans around her, but right now nothing was certain and until they proved themselves from a distance, she would trust no one. Eventually she mustered up the strength to get back up to her feet and keep on running, but out a nowhere a walker came and grabbed hold of her shoulders. Her blood ran cold and just as her mind raced with a million thoughts with gruesome endings, the walker did something that she didn't expect; it tackled her to the ground instead of biting her. On her side, the walker straddled her body and exerted its force, trying to keep her in place.

The woman began wrestling with the walker, forgetting the searing pain in her leg as she fought back for dominance. But the ringing in her ears soon subsided, and instead she realized that it wasn't a walker at all, but a human. He was yelling words, trying to speak with her.

"Stay down!" He yelled. The girl turned and was finally able to see his face. He had shaggy brown hair that covered his eyes if he held them there, an aged face but youthful body from what she saw; the arms toned as strong as they held her down. All she saw was him. "It's okay, you're all right now," he grumbled as her vision began swimming. His words echoed across her mind with a strange calmness before everything went black.

Light poured in from the barred slits over the bed. Blinking her eyes open, the girl was greeted by a searing pain in her leg, a slow burn that did not sit comfortably no matter which way she moved it. The first view she saw was a gray concrete wall, the shadow of the day light cast before her.

Attempting to sit up, the pain shot up through her calf, and she soon abandoned that idea, turning over to face the room.

In the corner a woman with short gray hair was tucking away medical instruments, placing them with extreme care in towels before wrapping them all together in a bundle. As the young woman turned to face her, she grinned.

"You're finally up;" she began, "that's good progress."

The brunette looked up and softly smiled. "You make it sound like I was out for more than just a day," she decided, "How bad is the damage?" she asked, referring to her leg.

The older woman glanced up at her, a friendly tone in her voice, "Well, you would be correct," she nodded. "You were out for a day and a few hours, and there's nothing to worry about there," she waved an arm over to the wound. "Bullet just grazed you, you should be better in the near future."

"That's a relief," the young woman sighed. "Thank you, by the way, ma'am, for fixing me up and taking me in. I was 100 percent sure that one more second out there and I would've been dead," she whispered.

"Carol," the woman responded. "You can call me Carol. And of course, it was our fault anyway that you got that wound."

"What do you mean?"

Carol stopped what she was doing, then, and walked over to the young girl. "You were surrounded by walkers, and one of our youngest, Carl, got a bit heroic and wanted to help you out. Turns out the kid needs to work on his aim," she chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd say," the girl laughed, looking down at her leg.

"He really is sorry about that, though," Carol mumbled. "He'll be down in a few to tell you that."

"Hey, no rush, not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon," she smiled, and Carol laughed.

"That's true."

A silence settled in, and the woman looked around to notice that she wasn't in a regular room, in fact, she was in a prison cell, and the barred shadow had come from the door. Quirking an eyebrow, she looked over to Carol, who already seemed to know her question. But before she could say anything, someone opened the cell door and walked in.

The first thing she saw was a crossbow, held firmly in the man's hands, as if he was ready to attack on a moment's notice. When she looked up she recognized the face; he was the one who held her down before she blacked out. His eyes found hers through the shaggy hair and he gave a slight nod, recognizing her and she returned it before he turned to Carol. "How's our little patient doing?"

Carol smiled. "Fairly well. Pain is still there, but other than that she seems stable. Should be back to health in a few days."

He gave a nod, turning back to face the woman.

Carol rolled her eyes, "Oh for God's sake, Daryl, put that thing away, you'll scare the poor thing." She jabbed his elbow, gesturing to the crossbow held firmly in his arms.

Daryl sighed, but followed orders, loosening his grip and slinging it around his shoulder.

"Daryl and Carol," the woman smiled. "That's kinda funny."

The two then turned to each other, and cracked a smile as well. "Yeah, it sure is, isn't it?" Daryl responded. "Promise not everyone's name ends with an 'l', though."

"What about you?" Carol asked. "What do we call you?"

The woman turned as best as she could to face the two and spoke clearly. "Avarie. Avarie Walsh."

A look of familiarity ran through the pair's faces, and they turned to each other once again, seeing if they both shared the same thought.

Avarie took this the wrong way, and immediately added, "Yeah, it's an oddball name," she shrugged. "But please, call me Ava," she smiled, as if her name was the simplest thing that ever was.


	2. Inspection

**AN: Hi! Just to let you all know I've updated the summary of the story as well as added a few things to chapter one, so before you read this please make sure to head on back to chapter one, because, if it saved correctly, there's a part mentioning Carl with more familiarity than what was previously written. Hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

"Ava," Carol finally managed to choke out after a moment. She smiled, but the effort seemed forced, "lovely name."

Ava tilted her head. "Is there something about my name that makes you uneasy?"

Immediately Daryl and Carol met glances again, a silent conversation taking place in a matter of seconds before Daryl cleared his throat and answered, "No, don't worry about it. Just uh, remembered that we got some work to do."

Ava could have rolled her eyes at the response.

"You rest up now, Ava. I or someone else will come back to check on you soon," Carol attempted the smile again before exiting promptly, followed by a hesitant Daryl, who seemed like he had something to say to Ava, but decided against it, closing the cell door behind him.

Heaving a sigh, Ava leaned back against the rough pillow, her thoughts running by without stopping to register. They all carried different words, but there was one name that repeated over and over again and visualized itself every time she closed her eyes: Carl. She felt as if she could cry. Ava knew at this point not to get her hopes up too high, but it had been more than two years passed since she'd seen him and his family. She held nothing but loving memories of the young boy, with wits beyond compare and enough spunk to last him a lifetime. However, there weren't that many kind words to offer to his parents.

Lori: their relationship had been strained from the beginning, but when she was pregnant with Carl, Ava and her put everything aside to welcome the baby to the world. After Carl was born, Lori seemed kinder, but Ava knew that there would come a time when she'd grow cold towards her once more.

As soon as the thought of Lori came up, Rick popped into her mind, and it seemed fitting for it to happen that way, too. Rick and Lori, Lori and Rick, the two were practically inseparable. Ava always found it endearing, their bond for one another. Ava knew that Lori was good for Rick, his balance and voice when he couldn't find the right words. Lori seemed to be the only stone in his life, and Rick held on to it. Rick, Ava repeated the name in her mind. He and she went as far back as he did with Shane. The three of them were a package deal, and she had looked up to Rick like a brother. At least she used to, until...

Ava immediately shook her thoughts away, focusing on the matter at hand. Carl was the only one who had been mentioned. Until she saw him again, Ava would not jump to any conclusions; she had done it once, and that surely didn't end well.

Soon, Ava's leg began to throb in the position it was in, so she tilted it slightly, leaning forward to inspect the wound. Of course, she couldn't see the worst of it, but she was relieved to know that she hadn't lost a limb or anything like that in the process.

She then settled back again, choosing to look around the room instead of dwelling back on her dark thoughts. It occurred to her then that she wasn't in a regular room.

"Now how did I end up in a jail cell?" Ava grumbled to herself, chuckling a bit before laying back down. "This world has gone fucking nuts," she mumbled before sleep took her away again.

* * *

This time it wasn't the light that welcomed her, it was the sound of a baby crying. Foggy memories snaked their way up to her closed eyelids, revealing an image Ava thought she had long forgotten.

_The baby was crying again. _

_Ava jumped up from the couch, running upstairs to see what he had done this time. When she reached the room, she laughed at the sight of Carl, toy car broken in half as he had tossed it against the wall._

"_Aw, poor baby," she cooed, scooping up the little thing in her arms. He was only a year old and already the boy was wrecking his toys. "If you could break a toy car in half now," she murmured, "what are you gonna be breaking in the future?"_

"_Hopefully not bones," Shane's voice chimed in._

_Ava gasped, turning around to face her brother. "Shane, what the hell, I didn't even know you were there."_

_He chuckled, stepping into the room. "Let me hold the kid, he obviously wants me, not you."_

_Ava frowned. "No way, he loves me more."_

_Shane laughed again. "Oh, really now? Then why's he crying?"_

"_Because he broke his toy, you idiot."_

"_You know what, just let me hold him."_

_Ava knew then that he wouldn't stop until the end of eternity, so she decided to cave, gently laying Carl into his open arms. _

_Shane then began to rock the baby and turned away from Ava. When he thought she wasn't looking he began humming a lullaby with a smile on his face._

_Ava quietly backed away from the two, leaning against the door frame. As she observed him the young girl wondered why Shane hadn't settled down yet and had his own children; he was always eager to see Carl, and was amazing at handling the boy, who was now silent, gently touching Shane's face. _

_He would make a great father, Ava concluded. One day she would see him holding his own baby like that, she thought to herself._

_They all stayed like this for a while, Shane rocking Carl to sleep while Ava watched. It wasn't until she heard the front door closing that she realized Rick and Lori were home. _

_Shane then turned to face her; embarrassed that she was still there. "I thought you left," he said in his gruff voice, settling down the now asleep Carl._

_Ava smiled. "And miss out on something that cute? No way."_

_Shane groaned. "Shut up," and then he walked past her, acting as if he had never let his guard down to the little baby dreaming away in his crib. _

_Though his exit wasn't so pleasant, Ava still had that smile on her face as she looked over to Carl. He could deny it all he wanted, she thought to herself, but Avarie Walsh knew her brother had a soft side, and underneath that rough shell he was always a kid with a good heart._

Ava choked, trying to find air. The echoes of a baby wailing had long since gone quiet, and all she was left with was the memory. She felt her lip quiver and soon realized that she had been choking because she was crying, tears leaving a streaked mess all over her face. She sniffled and quickly wiped them away, hoping no one would come along and notice.

Attempting to close the curtain on her emotions, she soon failed, and let the tears roam free again, quiet sobs leaving her lips as she covered her face with her hands.

She missed the past and everyone in it, and try as hard as she may to keep the sadness at bay, this time around she just couldn't be strong, and cried more and more.

A gentle knock came from the cell door, and immediately Ava sniffled, wiping away the tears hastily before turning to face her visitor.

It was Daryl, a concerned look on his features as he let himself in. "You okay?" he asked, free of his crossbow this time.

Ava tried her best to smile, feeling the tears build up once more. "I'm-" she hiccupped, "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me."

She knew that Daryl didn't believe her, and instead of leaving, he pulled up a chair and sat it beside her bed, as close to her as he could possibly get. "Well, now I kind of do have to worry about you, actually."

"What do you mean?" Ava asked.

"We're not usually supposed to let in anyone new until they've passed our uh, inspection, I guess that's what you call it, and the guy who usually does it has been out on a pretty long raid the past two days," he explained. "He should be back any minute, but until then I gotta do what's best for the people in here and make sure that you're not some psychopath or something else."

Ava nodded, "As you should."

Daryl would've continued, but paused at her response. "You're fine with me treating you like this?"

"I mean, what choice do you have?" Ava asked, "You don't know me, where I'm from, if I'm emotionally stable or not, especially since you just walked in on me crying. It makes sense." She concluded, sitting up on the bed, putting some strain on her leg.

Daryl sat back in his seat, silent as he studied her features. "Yeah, you got the idea."

Ava then looked back at him, both of them not saying a word as they looked upon one another. She concluded that he was handsome in a different way, maybe it was the ruggedness about him, or the silent brooding that seemed to be his signature. Either way, he was a mystery, and there's nothing Ava loved more than a good mystery.

She noticed that he was also observing her, probably making up his own conclusions as did she, and it made her curious to know what he thought of her. "What are you thinking?" she murmured.

Daryl's stare fixed itself on her eyes with a calm steadiness. He must've been a natural born hunter, Ava thought to herself, the guy's gaze never faltered, and he was poised and silent. "I'll tell you what," he responded after a moment of silence, "if you're given the clear to stick around with us, I'll let you know what I think."

Ava smirked. "What if I'm not as sane as you think I am?"

"What makes you think I think you're sane?"

Ava leaned forward, taking in his unchanged position in his seat before speaking in a musing tone, "You're relaxed around me. Trust me, I've been in plenty of other interrogations like the one you're putting me under now, and I've known when I'm being rejected and when I've been accepted. And from your authoritative tone I gather you're a leader in this group, and if you have any say with this other guy, I know I'm as good as settled in here."

It was Daryl's turn to smirk then. "You're confident."

"I'm not confident," she shrugged, "I just like working with my evidence."

Daryl leaned forward, sitting up straight in his seat, "What were you before this all happened, some detective?"

Ava got a real laugh out of that one. "No," she smiled. "Good guess, though. I was planning on taking up psychology. I went to Stanford."

"Stanford?" Daryl whistled. "Must be the smartest one in this building if you went there."

"Yeah, well, a degree doesn't do much in this time, does it?" She asked, more so to herself than him as she stared off beyond Daryl, a glazed look on her eyes as her mind began to wander again.

He parted his lips, ready to give a response, but footsteps and voices were heard from what Ava believed to be downstairs, and immediately Daryl stood up. He turned back to face Ava, whose tears had long since dried. He gave a slight smile. "You sit tight, he's here now."

"Can't wait to be welcomed in," Ava joked, and Daryl laughed.

Without another word, he left the cell, leaving the door open before heading to the source of sound. A few minutes later the footsteps were heading her way. Ava had her head in her hands as she fought the exhaustion that had been ailing her the entire time. A whole month out on the run and all the exertion had finally come back to kick her.

The footsteps came into the cell, and the door closed. She was surprised to hear ragged breathing and the person gulping. They seemed nervous, and why they would be around an injured girl barely 5 ft. 6 in. was beyond her.

The person then called out her name in a whisper, his voice so quiet it was almost as if he was afraid he'd shatter the room just by speaking the word.

But Ava knew why. She recognized the voice.

Slowly but surely, Ava removed her hands from her head, turning up her gaze to meet his once more. Her heart was soaring when she saw his face, and she laughed.

"Rick," she breathed, almost as if saying his name aloud was giving life back to her being, "It's you."

His face was a little more worn, grays showing in the beard and longer hair, but she would recognize that face anywhere. He had tears in his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "Ava," he sighed, rushing to her and pulling her into a hug.

It might've been the height of emotion, but soon the two of them were in tears, holding on to one another for dear life. She was on such a high that Ava kissed his cheek multiple times, breathing in his familiar scent and never wanting to let go. Rick's grip on her was almost painful; the way he clung on to her was the way a dead man held on to the cliff edge as a last hope for survival.

"You guys were always on my mind," she hiccupped, "I kept that picture of you, Shane, and I at that baseball game, you remember it, right? You were both seniors in high school and I was a Junior. I kept it with me always," she rambled, not even knowing what she was saying anymore.

She didn't notice that Rick's attitude went cold at the mention of Shane, his once joyful mood now soured by the name. He sighed, and leaned back, knowing that she had to find out eventually. "Ava," he began, but knew no way to continue.

"Yeah?" she asked, hands on his elbows.

Rick took a deep breath. "There's something you ought to know."


	3. You Promised

Ava then let go of Rick's arms, "What should I know, Rick?" she tilted her head, awaiting an answer.

Rick struggled for words, starting but then stopping. He knew the words that had to come out, they were repeating themselves over and over again in his mind: _Shane died, he was killed, he's dead, _but he just couldn't find the strength to spit them out. The thought was already bringing back traumatic events he chose to keep locked up in front of others. So instead of being honest with her, he forced a smile, whispering, "I'm just glad you're here, and alive."

"Me too," she smiled, coughing out a sob. She was caught into his embrace once more.

Rick breathed in her scent, burying his head into her shoulder and closing his eyes. He felt relieved to know that out of all the things in his life that changed, Avarie's hugs did not. They held on to one another a little longer and felt at complete ease, that is, until realization set in.

She was dangerously close, Rick felt, and if she tilted her head up and looked at him with those eyes of hers, Lord only knew the words that would come out of his mouth. He decided that it was time to break the embrace, so he pulled away; standing up from the kneeling position he was in.

Ava looked up at him, and sure it enough it was the brilliant green eyes that stared, brunette locks tumbling over her shoulder as she leaned forward, full lips pulling up into a smile. His breath came out a little bit more labored, and he had to look away. "Rick," she began.

"No," he cut her off. "I know what you're gonna say. And you don't have to worry about anything," he spoke quietly, not knowing why he was concerned about people listening in. "Everything that was in the past is staying there. Let's keep it at that."

Ava let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding in. Maybe it was the way he had gazed at her, eyes taking her in with an unsteady focus. Either way, his words only brought tension instead of relief. She still nodded anyway, unable to meet his look anymore. "Okay," she whispered.

The cell door opened, and in came another familiar face to greet her once again.

"Aunt Ava!" Carl shouted, tackling her in a hug tighter than Rick's. Ava gave a yell of relief, eagerly pulling the boy into her arms.

"Carl," she breathed, ruffling up his hair. "Look at you!" the boy who looked to be fourteen now smiled up at her, tears rolling down his face as he kept a firm grip on her shoulders.

"I thought-" he hiccupped. "I thought you were dead."

A wave of warmth washed through her body as she heard his words, crying as much as him as she pulled him back in. "No," she sobbed, "you know I'm too tough for them walkers. I'd nag them back to death," she joked, and the sound of Carl's laughter ringing through the room made her smile.

She looked up to see Rick, smiling with his lips but not with his eyes, which held tears and a bitter look within them. He was acting so strange at this point, Ava thought to herself, the second they were alone again she would ask him what was going on.

She hadn't noticed it before, but standing at the door was Daryl and another man, this one Asian and with black hair that came around the front of his face in natural waves. They both were smiling, the other guy more so than Daryl, who seemed to be amused but confused by the situation. Ava looked over to Daryl and gave him a knowing smile, and he nodded, chuckling to himself.

"Good as settled," he muttered to himself.

* * *

The next day, Ava began her recovery, and with the help of Rick and Carl, she was able to navigate around the prison without much struggle, only having to sit down every few minutes to ease the pain.

The amount of people living in the prison surprised her; there were familiar faces and some new ones, yet they all seemed like good people. Since Ava had spent a few months with The Governor she knew most of the residents of the cell block, glad to be around the few faces she had grown fond of seeing in the makeshift town.

Before she went to bed the night before, Rick had broken down and told Ava about how Lori died, not going over the details but letting her know that it had been giving birth to their daughter, Judith. Ava comforted him and was his shoulder to cry on, but as the night wore on and they held on to one another tighter Rick found himself closing off the curtain once more, getting up abruptly and wishing her a good night, briskly exiting her cell.

At this point his mood swings were getting out of hand. One second he was smiling, sitting down on the bed next to her and whispering his story from the beginning of the apocalypse, and the next he was pacing the floor, refusing to send even a glance her way.

She knew why he was so on edge after losing Lori, but Ava didn't think that after all this time he'd still hold on to something that happened in the past. Ava didn't want to say it out loud, she didn't at all, because if at one point she did, it would be opening up a whole mess of memories, threatening to break the already fragile bridge her and Rick were starting to form.

The only person who was able of clearing her storm of a mind was Daryl, a man she didn't think she'd ever find a bond with. Though they only met yesterday, he already found himself caring for the young woman, helping her walk around when Rick or Carl wasn't able. He sat with her while she ate in the afternoon and laughed at her jokes and told his own. Ava knew he wasn't the kind of guy to say much, and it was comforting for her. Most of these days everyone wanted to sit and talk things out, recognize their sins and apologize and all that crap, but Daryl was about action. He didn't like dwelling on his mistakes, he mentioned while she ate, he just did what he had to do to make things right now, and hopefully that made some higher power, if there was one, happy.

Ava remembered sitting back in her seat and just taking in what he said. She was genuinely impressed with his thought process, and joked about how it should've been him in Stanford instead of her.

"Nah. I've just had too much time to think these days," he shrugged.

"That's never a bad thing," Ava suggested, taking a sip of water.

He leaned back, seeing right past her as he mumbled, "When you've been around these parts long enough and seen the things we've all seen, it sometimes is."

Ava went silent then, wondering what sort of hell he had been through himself.

* * *

"Oh no, don't even worry about it, Glenn will take care of that." Maggie reassured Ava as she went to check out the smoke coming from outside.

"What is it?" She asked, feeling a sort of anxiety creep up inside her.

"Probably car issues, nothing he can't fix," she shrugged, speaking of him with a certain confidence. Even if she hadn't seen them kissing in the hallway earlier, Ava could've guessed the two were together. The way they looked at each other, she knew it, as everyone else did: it was love.

Ava then nodded, heading back the way she came after saying bye to Maggie. She saw Daryl hanging around Karen and Tyrese near the windows, and smiled over at him when he looked her way. He returned the smile, awkwardly averting his gaze every now and then which would've made her giggle. He acted all tough in stressful situations, but put him around a woman, and he was clueless.

Just as she was about close enough to call out to the group, Rick grabbed her elbow with enough force to make her gasp. She spun around to face him and he seemed frenzied, almost as if he had a very distinct purpose that needed to be taken care of immediately. "I need to talk to you, now," he emphasized the now, yanking her along as fast as he could to the library.

Daryl watched Rick drag her away like she was some rag doll, and the thought didn't sit well with him. He knew how unstable Rick could get when it came down to it, and if he was going to hurt Ava, he wouldn't sit around and let it happen. Excusing himself from the two, he hustled over to Rick and Ava, hoping to at least keep a watchful eye since Rick would probably not let him in.

Rick led Ava into the room, closing the door after her and offering her a seat. After she sat down, he tried to take the one opposite her, but it just didn't work. The pressure was building up. He leaned against the chair instead for support, and saw her waiting patiently for him to speak, a cautious look on her face.

"There's been something I've been meaning to tell you." He chose his words carefully, gauging her reaction and trying to make this as painless as possible.

"So tell me," she reasoned, big green eyes looking up expectantly.

Rick sighed, trying to look at anything but her face. "It's about- It's about Shane." he finally managed to get out, the name leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Immediately Ava's attention was caught. Her back straightened ever so slightly, and her stare seemed to pierce right through him.

He knew he couldn't hold it off any longer, this was the time.

Daryl was standing behind the closed door, looking through the glass and knowing what was coming next. He frowned slightly, knowing this wouldn't end well.

Rick finally found the courage to look the woman in the eyes, and he spoke the words, "Avarie, Shane is dead."

She flinched as if he had slapped her when he said 'dead', and by the weight of the news, he practically did. Her stomach dropped from beneath her. Her mouth went dry and all the moisture went to her eyes, tears pooling up as did the dread, grabbing her by the neck and slowly killing her off. Ava couldn't breathe, she couldn't even move. She felt pain in a million places but she also felt numb.

Before Ava could even let a sob out, Rick continued, ripping off the band aid with such brute force it was bound to leave a scar. His words were pouring out of him, "Now, before you say anything, just know that he had posed a threat to me and my family."

He got a reaction out of her then. Her face snapped to his, anger flashing through her eyes as he spoke.

Rick licked his lips, suddenly feeling parched. "He was going to kill me, Ava. Me and my boy. He pulled the gun out. He did it." and Rick found himself in tears as well, voice cracking as he spat, "He brought it on himself."

Ava was fuming at this point. If Rick was going to continue she wasn't having another word of it. She began quietly, trying to handle this as calmly as possible, "He brought it on himself?" she spoke in a low voice, anger oozing out of her being. "You're telling me, that your best friend from high school, the man you called your brother, pulled a gun on you and Carl, who I'm pretty sure, besides you, he loved more than anything in this entire world?" Her voice was a cracking mess, tears spilling everywhere as she tried to finish the sentence. Ava exhaled sharply, looking away from Rick before continuing, "And you killed him? Out of all the things that could've done it, the walkers, psychos like the Governor, so many others, you did it." She sent an accusatory glare his way. Now she was yelling, "You did it!"

Rick slammed his fist on the table. "I told you I didn't have a choice!" Ava flinched, but she was unyielding. She stood up and tried to argue back but Rick silenced her, "You don't know what it was like having him around. He got anxious, he wouldn't leave Lori alone. Yeah, you know they slept together, right? While I was in a goddamn coma, he went off with my wife and kid, talking about how he was going to keep them safe. He damn would've replaced me as if I never existed if I never found them," he was roaring now, yelling out all the things that he had been meaning to put into words for so long. "And you wanna mention how he was my brother?" Rick was incredulous. "What kind of brother pulls that sort of shit and gives you grief for it, as if it was your fault you got shot, you were put in that coma, you were the one leading a group of survivors through a world of the living dead. He probably planned to kill me all along. And to Carl? Avarie you know he was damn out of his mind if he wanted to kill me and leave Carl without a father like that. You say he loved him, well if he did, why'd he do this? Tell me that, huh? Why couldn't he have just fucking moved on and straightened up his damn self?" He banged the table repeatedly as he spoke, as if he was the judge ruling the final sentence. "No," Rick growled. "He was no brother of mine."

Ava took a shallow breath. "But he was mine."

Rick stopped then, looking up and seeing how much of a wreck she was. He started but this time Ava cut him off. "He may not be your brother anymore, but at one point he was. I get it, Rick. You killed him because of the threat he posed. But don't you dare look at me like that, like I'm going to do the same and make off with your kids and run. You know who I am, and I know it too. Just because this world has gone to shit doesn't mean that everything else has to. I've known you for 15 years now," she sniffled, "15 years and from the beginning it was you and Shane and I." Ava then wiped the tears from her eyes, but they wouldn't stop. For some reason her calm faded away and it was replaced by anger. "It was the three of us," she sobbed. "And do you remember that time, when my brother talked about joining the army? He was set on it, as if it was the only thing that he would think about. You never wanted to do that. But when Shane decided to do it do you remember what you told me?"

Rick had his hand covering his face then, ashamed and crying.

"Do you?" She shouted.

Rick let out a strangled noise in his throat. He pulled his hand away and looked up at her. "I said- I said I'd follow him and make sure the idiot didn't shoot himself by accident. I said I would because-" and he let tears escape, silently sobbing. "Because I promised you I would always be there to keep him safe."

Ava's stare was steely. "You promised me." she whispered. Ava then began walking off but thought to say one more thing, "You lost Lori, and I'm sorry about that, and I'm sorry for the shit Shane caused between you two, I really am. But at the end of the day you still have that little boy and girl to remind you of her, those little pieces she left behind." Rick was staring off beyond the books on the shelves, only seeing Lori and feeling a dull ache in his chest that would never quite go away.

"You-You have them," she continued, "but Shane was the last thing I had. I don't get another brother or a child to remind me of him. He's dead. Everything about him is now dead." She spoke with a certain finality. "And that's the part that hurts most." she finished, emotionally spent from the screaming match.

Ava walked away, leaving Rick along with his thoughts and memories. When she opened the door she was surprised to find Daryl backing away, giving her space as she exited. Anger shot up through her again. "And you've known this entire time too," she shook her head. Daryl wanted to speak but she wouldn't let him. "You've all made me look like a fool. Walking in acting as if its okay, like I'm not the sister of a considered psychopath."

Daryl looked down, ashamed in himself. "I should've said something," he muttered.

"Well at least I know now," she replied, before storming off to her cell.


	4. It's You

By the next few days gossip had already spread that Ava found out about Shane. They said how she only left her room for chores around the building and eating; afterword she would lock herself up and stare at the wall in said they could hear her crying in the middle of the night, whispering and muttering words only she could hear.

Many had lost loved ones in these hard times, but they forgot about how much it hurt when they lost their very first loved one to the apocalypse. Ava was the living reminder of the feeling, and it hurt many to have to see her go through it.

Daryl's room was next door to hers, and every night he would attempt to fall asleep but to no avail, for the sounds of Ava's quiet crying both annoyed and saddened him.

He wanted to let her know that he felt her exact same pain, that he understood completely what she was going through. After all, his brother was an asshole to many and caused more trouble than solutions. He knew their brothers were burdensome, but when they were lost it would be a piece of you gone with them as well. He wanted to comfort her, but he just didn't know how to approach the situation.

He would be lying if he said that she didn't scare him. Ava physically wasn't intimidating at all, but it was her air of confidence and the simple fact that in a normal world she wouldn't even send a glance his way, Stanford student studying psychology, while he was the typical red neck with a lesser education. Unintentionally she was making him feel inferior, but her alluring personality always kept him curious to know her more.

She was an intelligent and beautiful creature, and that's what made her absolutely terrifying to him.

Despite all this, he was still irritated by the sounds of her hushed sobs. Maybe it was because he's heard his fair share of crying over the past two years, or the fact that it was 2 AM and all he wanted to do was get a good night's rest for tomorrow. Either way the sound didn't sit well on his ears.

Eventually he decided to check up on her, and abruptly stood up from his bed, sliding on his boots and walking to her room. He made himself aware to her, lightly tapping on the bars.

She had her back to him initially, hunched over and curled in a ball, hugging her legs close as she stared at the wall. Daryl thought he saw a picture sitting in front of her, but didn't have time to really look at it since she turned, eyes puffy and nose red. She sniffled, and attempted a smile, "Sorry, am I keeping you up?"

He sighed, instantly regretting the irritation that had been building up inside him. "No," he lied, "Just wanted to check on you."

Ava shrugged, now refusing to meet his glance, "Don't worry about me, I'm all right."

Daryl wasn't sold. He stood firm at the entrance, challenging her silently.

She then realized that he wasn't going anywhere unless she got up and let him in, so Avarie got out of bed, quickly tucking the picture of her, Rick, and Shane away under her pillow before turning around and letting him in.

He stepped into the room, awkwardly standing in front of her as she settled back down on the bed. Ava looked up to see the sight of him, shuffling his weight between his feet every now and then, making eye contact with her before glancing away, focusing on another point in the room. She smiled. "This isn't your kind of thing, is it?" She asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Ava cracked a smile, "comforting people, the whole emotional business stuff."

He got a chuckle out of that one, "Is it that obvious?"

Ava nodded, biting her lip. She then patted the spot next to her on the bed, "Sit down, you're making me nervous already just by standing there."

Daryl raised an eyebrow in question, but decided to not say anything, settling down next to her. After a few moments of silence he turned to her, mumbling, "So, you're not mad at me anymore for not telling you about…About.." he wasn't sure if it was okay to mention Shane's name to her yet, so he trailed off, waiting for her reaction.

She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'm not mad at you," she looked forward towards him, curled up again in her ball, hugging her legs, "It's useless to be mad at something like that. It wasn't your secret to tell anyway. Rick should've done it."

Daryl felt a weight lift off his shoulders, relieved that she understood. "That didn't run over so well," he replied, referring to her conversation with Rick.

Ava laughed without humor, "And that's a definite understatement."

He was quiet then, eyes not leaving hers. She was not seeing him anymore, her gaze shifted off to the side of him, glazed and looking beyond the fold on his flannel sleeve. Daryl then concluded that she didn't seem to have jumped off the deep end, she was just tired. He didn't feel like getting into her argument with Rick, knowing it would open up a whole bag of bitter emotions and stories that he wasn't sure he had the time or attention span to hear. Instead, he decided to finish off their little session, "you should really get some rest."

"I should, shouldn't I?" she asked in monotone, still not seeing him.

Daryl cleared his throat, adjusting himself on the bed so he was facing her better. He spoke quietly, "Rest'll do you good. Trust me."

Ava finally looked upon him, this time with a steely stare, "How do you know that?" she whispered, "I can't even close my eyes without picturing my brother as a walker, out there as the monster that the little kids fear."

He met her stare, unfaltering. He waited a beat before responding, "I know because I lost a brother too."

Her features immediately softened, seemingly relieved that someone was on the same boat with her. "Tell me about him, please," she breathed, blinking back tears, "Something, anything."

Daryl started then stopped, unsure where to begin.

"If you're fine with it." She murmured, concern on her face as she saw Daryl struggle for words.

He only paused for a moment before deciding on the words, starting slowly, "Merle was my older brother. He was the only one there for me in our house, even though he was never really around to begin with. The guy taught me everything he knew, and I guess that's one good thing I could put in for him. Other than that, there's not many nice things you could say that everyone else would agree with, but I mean," he stopped, not sure if he wanted to say it, "he was-he was still my brother. You can't just not love them, you know?"

At this point Ava was crying again, hand absentmindedly leaving her leg and finding the picture under her pillow. "I know," she breathed, "God, I know."

Daryl saw her crying again, and without thinking, he leaned forward and used his thumb to wipe the tear away from her cheek, cupping it gently. "Don't cry," he mumbled, "you'll be all right."

"You say that a lot."

"Someone's gotta believe it," he shrugged.

Ava saw him then, fully aware of his close proximity, and glad for the warmth he radiated. He spoke and she stared at him in awe, leaning into the hand he kept on her cheek. "Don't get weirded out, okay?"

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

Without saying another word, Ava removed his hand from her face, leaning forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.

Daryl was struck silent, not sure what to do. It wasn't often that someone hugged him, but he decided that it would be hurtful if he didn't hug her back, so he gently placed his hands around the small of her back, firmly planting them there as she squeezed. After a few seconds, Ava buried her head into his shoulder, subtly breathing in his scent. She pulled away, but Daryl still held her firmly, and they were extremely close then, noses almost touching. Her eyes looked into his, and almost as if it was an involuntary action, darted down to his lips, which were slightly open.

Embarrassment poured through her body then, not sure why her breathing was becoming more labored.

Daryl broke the intense stare down, unwrapping himself from her, leaning back and giving her space again. "I'm gonna head on back to my room now. If you need anything, tell me, you hear?" he spoke with a steady voice, surprising himself since his heart race was bumped up, breathless from her closeness.

Ava didn't say anything, simply nodding before he stood up and headed towards the door.

Before he could get out, Daryl turned back to face her, "I meant what I said, though. You'll be all right."

Ava exhaled sharply, unaware until that moment that she had been holding her breath. "Thank you, Daryl."

He nodded, heading back to his room.

Ava plopped down onto her bed, now staring up at the ceiling instead of the wall. The events that occurred in the last five minutes replayed in her mind. Her emotions were all over the place, and her mind was a screaming mess, but there was one thing she was now sure of.

Daryl was good energy to be around. He had a positive outlook that was also realistic, and his presence alone calmed the raging storm in her brain.

His words echoed through her mind: "_If you need anything, tell me, you hear?"_

Ava laughed to herself then. _I do need something, _she thought to herself. _It's you._

* * *

**I'm sorry if this ending was a bit cheesy!**

**I just want to let you guys know that, if you haven't noticed the pattern already, I will most likely be posting chapters on the weekends only, usually a chapter on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. No guarantees that this will always be the case, but just a heads up! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and if you did maybe Review? I'd really appreciate it, and I'd love to hear some feedback from you guys!**


	5. Back to the Past

The bowls were lined up neatly, steam rising from each one as Ava and Louise, a friend from Woodbury, poured the soup in.

For the first time in months, Avarie felt as if her life was finding some normalcy to it. She had a routine, and it began with waking up at the break of dawn. From there she would get ready, after words passing by Daryl's to say hi before heading down for a quick breakfast with Louise and Karen. The three would then vary tasks from preparing food, tidying up the cell blocks, to washing clothes. If a watch was needed they would switch out as well, but most of the time their tasks were kept simple.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling the sun's heat even from the tent she was under. Avarie enjoyed being able to do little things, not worrying if she was going to be seeing tomorrow or not. She had seen enough walkers to last her a lifetime, and while they were good for letting out some pent up aggression, attacking them all the time would surely lead her to become like them, a blood lusting creature with the nature to kill.

And that, above all things, is what she never wanted to become.

"Afternoon, ladies," Daryl called out, casually strolling in and snagging a bowl.

"Now I know you don't plan on drinking it from the bowl," Ava warned, cracking a smile when he slowly brought the bowl away from his lips.

"Nope," he lied, "I was actually just getting a spoon now, how crazy" Daryl shrugged, returning the smile before settling down with his food.

"I think that's a good amount for now," Louise decided, covering the steaming pot. Ava nodded in agreement, taking the soup with her as she took a seat next to Daryl. Louise sat in front of the two, stirring the mixture slowly. "Come to think of it, I don't even know why we're having soup in the middle of the summer."

"We had all the ingredients for it," Ava shrugged, "seemed only reasonable."

"And it sure as hell tastes great, so I'm not complaining," Daryl grumbled, taking another spoonful as he spoke.

Ava groaned, "You're disgusting," she lightly smacked his arm, getting his attention, "don't talk with your mouth full."

Daryl chuckled, "World's ending, Ava, I really don't think manners are our problem these days,"

"Still."

He then sighed, taking a napkin and wiping off the sides of his mouth, swallowing his soup and opening his mouth wide for Ava to see, "Look, no more soup, good?"

Ava laughed, shoving him away. "Stop it," he closed his mouth, chuckling as he settled back in his seat.

Louise looked back and forth from the two as they exchanged words. She was shaking her head, a knowing grin on her face. "All right, enough flirting from you two."

Ava and Daryl were silent then, sharing a quick glance with one another and looking back at Louise.

She giggled, "Look how nervous you both got,"

Ava rolled her eyes, "All right, ha ha, very funny."

Louise grinned, but dropped the topic. "So, you never got around to tell me where you went after you left Woodbury. How did you even leave Woodbury?" She asked, curious as to know how Ava disappeared over night from the makeshift town. The Governor didn't just let his citizens leave. They all saw him as a proud man who kept his people safe, but after his horrors and dark ways were revealed, she was scared for Ava.

The brunette forced a smile. "I know I never said goodbye to you, and I'm sorry for that," she began. Louise nodded, her expression showing nothing besides her undivided attention. Daryl even leaned forward in his seat, leaning his elbows on the table as he listened intently. "But, uh, you know what was really going on in that place. It was the picture perfect scene from the outside, but inside, in the walls of the Governor's workings, it definitely wasn't like that." She shook her head, mind taking her back to the past.

* * *

_Her shaking hands fumbled with the doorknob, trying to escape as quietly as she could. From the bedroom he was sound asleep, a light snore sounding like music to her ears as she was trying not to wake him._

_This was a mistake; she knew it from the start._

_Maybe it was from the alcohol – she had been drinking so much – or it was because they both had feelings for one another that came to the surface at a catastrophic explosion, but either way, she knew she had to leave, and she had to do it immediately._

_While she tried to unlock the door as quietly as possible, a growling noise was heard, so faintly that she almost missed it from behind the door to her right. But she had heard it. Avarie slowly turned her head, afraid and confused. There couldn't be a walker in the room, could there?_

_She tip-toed towards the sound, thankful that she hadn't put on her shoes just yet, and leaned against the door. Sure enough, the growl was heard again, this time more urgent. Her heart race quickened. _

_Ava turned the knob, only to realize that it was locked. But the sound of her turning the knob seemed to excite the walker, as it rattled what sounded like a cage, the growls now turning into roars. Ava was hyperventilating, stumbling backwards and completely disregarding all stealth she had been working up to in the past five minutes. _

_And then she realized – the snoring had ceased. _

_She heard him scramble out of bed, calling out the word "Penny," repeatedly. _

_Ava panicked. All she wanted was to get out. So she rushed back to the front door, struggling with the lock. Her heart nearly stopped beating when it dawned on her that the lock was stuck. Ava's breath was coming out more labored, and when she heard him turning the corner she knew that time was up. She turned to her left, and the shadows of the kitchen seemed to be her only safe haven. Ava dashed to the corner of the room, and just as she reached her destination, in he came, shirt disheveled and hair all mussed up. His pants weren't buckled up, so they hung loose as he rushed to the door. Taking off a necklace with a key on it, the Governor opened up the door to be greeted by a blue light that hinted at water. Ava was breathing heavily, curious as to know what was inside the room. _

_Soon she heard the walker, and she now knew for sure that it was one, for the sound that came out of its throat was not human. _

_She expected – and hoped – that the Governor would kill it off, but then she heard him whispering to the walker, almost soothing it. _

_Avarie was at a loss of words. Regardless of whether or not he saw her, she had to know what was going on in there. So she silently stood up, padding through the floor to the sound._

_The sight that welcomed her frightened her more than any walker she had ever encountered. _

_Heads, ten, twenty, thirty, forty of them, lined in tanks, emitting the blue light that she had seen earlier, their grotesque images searing into her mind. She looked forward, and saw the Governor holding a little girl, but she wasn't human. He was struggling with a child walker, calling her Penny and attempting to sedate her. Ava hadn't meant to, but the situation proved too much, and she let out an audible gasp, dropping her shoes and making her presence known._

_He turned then, a crazed look in his eyes as he took her in. He shook his head, irritation and, for a moment, fear evident on his face. "Avarie," he began as she backed away from the scene._

_She didn't know why, but tears were running down her cheeks as she ran to the door. Ava reached for the lock and yanked, opening it up and allowing her to open the door. Just as she did this, another hand came up from above her , slamming the door shut while the other hand covered her muffled screams, bringing her down to the ground with him._

"_Philip!" She found herself screaming, "stop it!" _

_He only held her tighter, bringing her backside to his chest as he clamped his hands around her mouth tighter. "Be quiet," he hissed, feeling her hot tears and ragged breath with his grip. _

_Ava decided that the only way for him to let go was to be silent, so she obliged, sobbing as he finally let go. He then placed a hand on her hip, pulling her in his direction. Ava got the hint, and turned around. He was taller than her, eyes looking down and taking in her red, puffy eyes, and tear streaked cheeks. _

_He sighed. "Ava, you gotta listen to me—"_

"_Don't you even touch me!" She cried, slapping his hand away as he brought it to her face._

_After that, any sign of affection he had was drained from his expression, replaced by the look of a dark storm in his eyes. Ava attempted to get up, but he grabbed her by the waist, struggling to bring her back down._

_Ava tried to scream, but he had already gotten on top of her, muffling her voice once again._

"_Now, you're gonna shut up and you're gonna listen to me, you hear?" he roared._

_Ava struggled, but went silent. He shook her to show his dominance, and leaned in to her ear, "You're not telling anyone about this. And you're gonna listen to me, because if you don't , I'll make you regret it. Understand?" _

_He had one arm pinning both of hers down while the other held itself firmly to her mouth. Ava nodded vigorously, and he smiled menacingly, gently removing his hand from her mouth._

"_I knew you'd see it my way," he spoke quietly. "You were always so submissive." He smirked at her then. _

_The blood rushed to Ava's face, and her temper shot up when he said those words. She hated being beneath someone, especially a man, and for him to call her submissive was a deep insult. She knew that this wouldn't help her, but all she saw was red. Ava snapped up her arm and smacked him across the face, shoving him off her before making a run to the exit. _

"_Oh no you don't" he chuckled, grabbing and slamming her back onto the floor. With one arm pinning her down, he reached for a nearby drawer, and found duct tape. Ava's eyes widened. She thrashed against his hold, but he was too big. He placed a strip of tape over her mouth, and another around her wrists, keeping her arms above her head. Philip sat up and admired his work, a smirk evident on his face that made Ava's stomach churn. He then got up and brought her along with him, closing the door with the heads in it and locking it before heading back to the bedroom._

_He threw Ava on the bed, and climbed on top of her, bringing her arms over her head once more. "I don't know why you had to let this ruin our night," he murmured, planting a kiss on her neck as the tears began to run down again. "We were having so much fun, weren't we?" his hand traveled down to her stomach, then to the top of her jeans, pulling down the garment. Ava was sobbing, and she fought her hardest to get him off of her, but he smacked her across the face so hard she was left in a daze. _

"_You know how I told you I would make you regret it?" he mused, toying with the front of her underwear. "This is what I meant," he growled._

_And with every bruising embrace, abusive scratch, and savage thrust, Ava felt herself growing more and more cold, looking up to the ceiling and never wanting to feel so helpless in her life again._

Ava took in a ragged breath, her dead stare seeing nothing as she saw past Louise's shocked expression. She didn't hear Daryl's growl as he gripped his chair handle tight. She saw nothing, only the moonlit ceiling as his hot breath ran down her neck and sent a wave of disgust through her body.

"Ava," Louise breathed.

She finally saw her then, not realizing that a tear had escaped. Ava quickly wiped it away, looking up to her long time friend. "Sorry, I guess I should've told you all this sooner."

Daryl was beyond furious, standing up from his seat. "Damn right you should've,"

"And where do you plan on going?" Ava asked, looking up to see Daryl pacing the length of the table.

"Wherever that asshole is," Daryl decided, "I'm gonna find him, and put an arrow straight through his other eye. Then I'm gonna kill him," he concluded.

He was fuming, and as much as she appreciated his protectiveness, Ava didn't want him to do anything reckless. "Daryl," she sighed. He wouldn't hear her so she stood up, standing in front of him and placing a hand on his chest. "Hey, listen to me, stop." She ordered, looking him in the eye. "Sit down right now."

He silently followed orders, flopping down onto the already unstable chair. "We can't just let him get away with this anymore," he shook his head, "Damn guy already harmed way too many people."

"And we will find him," Ava spoke in monotone. "We'll find him, and when we do, we'll kill the son of a bitch."

Daryl smirked, leaning back in his seat. "That's something I look forward to seeing."

* * *

"All clear over here," Martinez called out, leading the Governor out with Shumpert taking the rear. They had found an abandoned home for a temporary refuge. There was food left in the cupboard, and three bedrooms to take up. Though the stench of the dead was still evident, they knew it would be secure enough to stay in for the time being.

"All right, pick a room and get yourselves settled in." the Governor rasped, tired from the long journey. The two nodded, silently making their way into the rooms they chose.

Of course they left the nicest room for the Governor. It had a balcony, overlooking a vast field, untainted by the walker's presence. He dropped off all his belongings on the table, leaning against the railing of the balcony.

As he looked around, he seemed to remember something, and reached into his pocket and found a necklace. The locket that had once been fully intact was now broken, the picture within swinging open as soon as he held it up to his view.

It was a picture of a young girl with long brunette locks and brilliant green eyes with her older brother and mother and father. Her brother, with his dark hair and brown eyes, had an arm around her shoulder, the two captured mid laugh.

He smirked as his eyes beheld the young woman. "Don't think I forgot about you, darlin'," he then chuckled, closing the locket and stuffing it back into his pockets.

"You're not dead yet," he concluded. "You're still out there, somewhere."


	6. A Long Night

**Quick warning: Chapter gets a bit heated towards the end! Just wanted to prepare you for what's gonna come up. Enjoy!**

* * *

When Daryl had calmed himself, they all were settled back down on the table, sitting in silence as the weight of Ava's story still sunk in to their minds.

"So, what happened after?" Louise asked in a hushed tone, afraid to upset Ava.

The young woman closed her eyes, envisioning the rest, "He fell asleep again when he thought I was out. When he was snoring away, I got up, snuck out as fast as I could, got all my shit, and ran." Ava's eyes were opened as she finished her thought, squinting as her vision adjusted to the brightness of the sun. "I should've taken you and Karen with me."

Louise shook her head, "You had to run, Ava. After he- what he did to you, I would've done the same, had I been in your shoes. No apologies or second thoughts," she gently smiled, placing her hand on top of Ava's as it lay on top of the table. She gave a comforting squeeze, and Ava returned her smile.

"I just hope Michonne finds him soon," she whispered, tightening her grip on Louise's hand.

"I hope she comes back so I can join her," Daryl grumbled, making a gesture as if to grab his crossbow, but remembered that he left it in the prison. Instead he sighed, leaning back in his seat and feeling helpless. "Feels like we're doing nothing just sitting around here, letting that psycho path walk around."

Avarie's grip on Louise's hand slackened then, and she pulled it away to turn towards Daryl. "We got a community here that needs your guidance. Rick needs your guidance, you can't just up and leave to catch one man, Daryl," she reasoned with him.

He looked up to catch her stare, a cool look of indifference evident on his face, "Let Glenn help him out. Maybe Tyrese. We're not safe if he's still roaming around. No doubt he's planning on attacking again."

Louise looked as if she wanted to say something, but then her young daughter, Callie, called her over from the entrance, telling her mom that she wanted to show her a picture she drew. Louise cracked a half smile, and excused herself from the group, giving Ava one last reassuring hug before heading off to meet her daughter.

Ava and Daryl watched in silence as the mother and daughter embraced, smiles evident on both of their faces. Daryl had cleared his throat, straightening up in his seat when the two were out of sight. Ava turned back to him, brushing off his awkward behavior before replying in a hushed tone, "Don't leave," she met his stare that always seemed to find her. "Please. Just stay here, okay?"

His expression softened and he whispered, "All right." And when Ava heaved a sigh of relief, he smirked and added, "but only because you said please."

"Shut up," Ava grumbled, a smile playing on her lips as Daryl chuckled.

* * *

Later that evening, as Ava settled into bed, she heard a tap at her door. She pulled the hair tie out, allowing her long brown locks to tumble in a flowing river down her back before turning around to see who was there.

She expected to see Daryl, checking up on her one last time before heading off to bed as he usually did, but instead she was greeted by Rick, who attempted to make eye contact with her but found that he couldn't.

"Hi," he breathed, finally holding her gaze. "Can I come in?"

Ava regarded him with a cold silence, but still gestured for him to enter.

He sighed, then slid open the cell door and made his way in. "You know you should probably put up that blanket to cover the door. It'll give you some privacy," he suggested, failing in his attempt at petty conversation.

Ava snapped, "is this what you wanted to talk to me about or...?"

Rick closed his eyes, "no, I just didn't want to dive into this conversation so fast, that's all."

"What conversation now, rick? Are you gonna tell me now that you shot my cousins and parents in the face as well? That you've seen my family already and have killed them all too?" She gave up then trying to fold her towel, tossing it onto the bed instead.

Rick shook his head, "now don't start on this again, please-"

"What?" Ava laughed incredulously, "I'm not allowed to bring up the conversation? Sorry, looks like it's my fault you ki-"

"_Ava_," Rick spoke through gritted teeth. The two glared at each other in silence, a wordless war raging.

She sighed, "If you really don't want to talk about it, then what do you want?"

He was pacing the room then at a slow pace, finding little things on her desk and idly toying with them, "I talked to Daryl today." Rick put down the dice Ava had placed at the corner of the desk, sat down with accurate closeness to the edge. He could've chuckled at the item; she had kept it since she was in the 8th grade because she thought it was her good luck charm. He envisioned a young Ava, brunette hair swishing in its signature high ponytail as she ran home, eagerly awaiting to show her mom her newest treasure.

He saw her a few years later then, when Shane hit his head and got a concussion from football. He saw her sitting next to her brother in his bed and idly twirling the dice in her hand, periodically slapping his shoulder to make sure he didn't go to sleep. Everyone knew Shane would be fine, but Ava was always the mom of the three; she would harass and pester until she knew everything would be okay.

Rick's smile faded to a frown then, for when he looked up and saw her tired eyes and deflated spirit, the vision of the bubbly young woman with a fierce fire in her gaze was fading away, and she was fading away fast.

"And?" Ava challenged, a disinterested look playing on her face as she picked up her towel once more in another attempt to put it away.

Rick sent a glance back at the dice before turning away from it for good, facing Ava as he replied, "he told me you used to live in Woodbury."

Ava's face twisted into a confused expression, "Yes, I told you this before."

He leaned back on the desk then, crossing his arms, "Yeah, you did. But you never mentioned your relationship with the Governor."

Her expression hardened, "What else did Daryl tell you?" she asked cautiously.

Rick shook his head innocently, "Nothing. He told me to talk to you about it."

Ava sighed. She closed her eyes and desperately wished that this was not happening right now, but when she opened again, Rick was still standing there. He was still there, awaiting her response eagerly.

He sensed something was wrong. "Ava," he murmured, "Tell me what happened."

She shook her head petulantly, refusing to say it. She had never once said the words and was not keen on saying it now.

The wheels cranked in his overworked brain, and then the pieces finally clicked. He clenched his jaw, a slow burning building up as he rumbled, "Did he hurt you?"

Ava closed her eyes, the tears she had been hoping to avoid pooling over and spilling down her cheeks. That alone was the answer to Rick's question, but to confirm it, she gave a slight nod.

Rick was fuming at this point. He uncrossed his arms and placed them on the desk's edge, gripping it so tight his knuckles turned white. "By hurt," he hesitated, "do you mean-"

Ava groaned, "You know what kind of hurt I mean!" She hiccupped, covering her face as she sat down on her bed.

Rick was now directly in front of her, and his heart race was speeding, blood pumping vigorously through his body in a rage. He knew she wouldn't want his comfort, especially at this point, but he needed to let her know that he was there for her. He always would be. So Rick sat down next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing it.

She took her hands away from her face and, to his surprise, leaned towards his embrace. Ava wrapped her arms tight around him, wishing to only get closer and closer, as if his whole body could wrap her up whole and make it all go away.

Rick sighed, affectionately kissing her forehead and running a hand through her hair, whispering words of comfort as he rocked her gently. Though she rarely heard what he was saying through the sounds of her cries, Ava strained to hold on to his voice, grappling on like it was the last string to safety.

"You listen to me, all right?" Rick whispered, pulling away and leaning down so they were eye to eye. Ava sniffled and looked into his eyes. "He's already made it personal. He's killed Andrea and Merle, almost did the same thing you went through to Maggie, and killed all his people. This guy's a psycho, and we're gonna end it, you hear? We're gonna find him and when we do, we'll make him pay. But until then I need you with me, completely. Don't check out on me, all right?" Rick urged, hands firmly holding on to her shoulders as he spoke.

Ava's breath was ragged as she nodded. "All right."

Rick's grip slackened, and he smiled gently. "Hey, I love you, all right? I'll always be here for you."

She hesitated in her response, but still mumbled back, "Yeah, I love you too," she stuttered. "Uh, thank you, Rick."

They had shared this exchange of words plenty of times in the past, but it had been before certain events. Afterwards, they never told the other they loved them. Ava was feeling uneasy with the situation, and with the intensity in which Rick was staring at her, it added on to the feeling.

However, Rick seemed oblivious to the fact, and mistook her hesitance as bashfulness. His eyes darted down to her lips, if only for a split second, but she knew for sure that he had done it.

Before Ava could protest, Rick closed the gap between the two, tenderly placing his lips upon hers.

Ava's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a small noise in her throat resembling shock. However, it had been so long since she'd felt a kiss as loving as this one, and she longed, no, craved touch once more. So without thinking, Ava responded, placing her around his neck and bringing him closer.

Rick grumbled in satisfaction, running his hands down to her waist and tugging, bringing her closer. The kisses soon became more urgent, lust taking over and clouding their vision as they only sought the other's embrace. He brought his knee up on the bed and gently brought Ava down, climbing over her and meeting her halfway with kisses that were becoming more and more sloppy.

Ava leaned forward and propped herself up with her elbows, looking up at the ceiling as Rick's lips left hers and made their way to her neck. When he found the familiar part of her neck he had explored before, he became aggressive, biting down gently and causing her to let out a low moan.

Her eyes were closed, and she was digging her nails into his shoulder. Ava was in pure bliss, that is, until his hand absentmindedly roamed down to her belly, then down to the top of her jeans. He played with the buttons in the same rushed manner she felt a long time ago.

And then, almost as if cold water was splashed against her face, she opened her eyes, and only saw the gray ceiling with the moonlight pouring in, his hot breath running down her neck and causing her to squirm.

Rick's hand reached into her jeans and began circling her down there, and although Ava found pleasure, other memories were running together and slapping her, nightmare after nightmare.

She gasped, and Rick read her wrong, taking it as a sign of pleasure. He continued to rub his fingers against the cloth covering her warmth, coming back up to capture her lips with his once more.

Ava shook her head, turning away and whispering, "No."

Rick immediately stopped, breath coming out labored as he removed his hands from her. "No?"

She was trying to fight the tears, and she thought she was doing well, but she hadn't noticed that they were already spilling over. Rick then cursed at himself, feeling terrible for having put her through such a situation.

"Ava," he sighed, sitting up and bringing her with him. "I didn't mean to- I just"

"No," she repeated herself, straightening out her shirt and buttoning up her jeans again. "You don't have to say anything."

And he didn't. Ava stood up as Rick fixed his clothes, looking around everywhere except at him. He stood up and made his way to the cell door. He hesitated, turning around and looking her in the eyes, he began to say something but then Ava cut him off, "Like you said: everything that was in the past is staying there. Let's keep it at that," she breathed, avoiding his gaze.

Rick was silent, still looking upon her in the hope that she would give in and look back. But when Ava refused to, he eventually sighed and nodded his head. "Those uh, blankets. Really should put them on the door," he grumbled before walking away.

Ava scoffed when he was out of earshot.

She trudged towards her bed and flopped down, taking the coarse pillow and slamming it on top of her head, groaning into the sheets.

For once, all she wanted was simplicity in her life. For once she just wanted to be able to talk to Rick without remembering what it was like to kiss the lips he spoke with, or to remember Woodbury and her friends without the vision of the Governor and his sick ways burned into her mind.

She wanted silence. She wanted the dark.

And she eventually got it, for a few minutes later Ava was sound asleep.

Her face looked peaceful, but within the mind, racing memories of nights in tangled sheets with a different man each time came through her memory, hitting her with intense ferocity.

"Rick," she found herself grumbling in her sleep. The name and the face swirling in a haze in front of her eyes.

_His strong arms, gripping her waist as he thrust into her repeatedly, groaning her name lovingly into her neck. _

Ava turned to the side, mumbling incoherent words.

_She dug her nails into his back, gasping out in pleasure each time he entered her again. "Rick," she was breathing, "Oh god," she moaned._

Daryl made his way past Ava's, raising his eyebrows in question when he heard a sound resembling a whimper coming from her cell. Slowly he turned around, looking in to see that she was fine, but still making the low sounds in her throat as she dreamt.

_She was close, she felt it. He was too, and his thrusts were becoming more urgent and more forceful. He tilted his head back and let out a loud moan, cursing quietly as he looked back down at her, admiring the way her back arched, showing the swell of her breasts in all its glory. _

Daryl tapped on the door, whispering out Ava's name. If she was having a nightmare he wanted to be there to wake her up from it.

_Suddenly the image twisted, and no longer was she moaning in pleasure. She was now whimpering, tears running down her cheeks as he forced himself into her. His primal grunts were up close and personal as he brought himself down to her neck, mercilessly tugging at the soft flesh with his teeth._

Ava was not responding, but now her whimpers were getting louder. She violently lurched to the other side, mumbling words he could not hear. Daryl then raised his voice a bit, hissing out her name in urgency.

"_Ava!"_ _he called out her name as he finished, catch his breath as he pulled himself out of her. She cried as loud as she could, but the tape was still fastened tightly on her mouth, muffling the sound to a barely audible groan._

Daryl decided that enough was enough, so he opened up the cell door, not caring who he woke with the loud sound, and rushed to her side. He placed his left hand on her elbow and the right on her cheek, calling out her name so she could wake up.

_The scene dissolved from her vision, and suddenly she was with another man, different from the two before. His toned arms held her lovingly in his embrace, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as he slowly undressed her. "Ava," he crooned, placing a hand on her cheek and kissing her forehead. When he pulled his hands away she helped him out, removing her shirt and tossing it over the edge of the bed, the bed she recognized as the one in her cell. _

"Ava," he whispered, "Wake up."

_His words were like music to her ears, and she closed her eyes as she lost herself in them. His hands slowly unhooked her bra and removed the garment, exposing her full breasts to his eyes. _

Her back arched ever so slightly, but Daryl felt it, and he grumbled, "What are you dreaming about?" as he looked down upon her in confusion.

_His hands were hesitant, clumsy even, as they found her breasts, but she still let out a low groan of pleasure when he pinched the nipples, kissing her neck lovingly. When he pulled away she finally saw his face, and she let out a gasp as the name soon followed. _

"Daryl," she breathed, eyes snapping open to find him again before her, this time the both of them fully clothed.

He looked at her cautiously, "You okay? I heard some noises from your cell."

Immediately Ava's dreams came flooding back into her mind, and she felt her face grow hot. "What kind of noises?" She questioned, nervous to know his response.

"Sounded like whimpering or something. Were you having a nightmare?" He asked, innocently curious and unaware of the reason why she was blushing so much.

Ava suddenly burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hands as she fought to suppress the sound. Maybe it was because she was embarrassed by the situation, or she just really wanted him to continue where he left off in her dream, but she shook her head, replying, "No, well, I was. But uh, not towards the end."

"You wanna talk about it?" Daryl asked, completely confused.

Ava smiled, biting her lip as she observed his face. He was so close, she could just close the gap between them and carry on from where her mind stopped. But she had already done that once earlier, and she didn't want the same results in one night, so instead she murmured, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

He was still cautious, but nodded anyway. "If you say so," he shrugged. Daryl then stood up, and after she briefly hugged him, he made his way to the door, where he wished her good night.

As he walked back to his room, Ava let out a quiet chuckle, laughing at his blind innocence and wishing she could be as unassuming as him.


End file.
